


Dance for Three

by Yevynaea



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Alternate Ending, Ballroom Dancing, Friendship, Gen, Magic, Multi, Platonic Soulmates, Short One Shot, au where tom is less angry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4456259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yevynaea/pseuds/Yevynaea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of getting angry when Marco and Star dance at the blood moon ball, Tom elbows his way in and ends up joining them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance for Three

Marco grabs Star’s hand, pulls her toward him and then there’s a bright scarlet spotlight on them and he doesn’t know what it is. He’s just hoping it’s not a demonic kiss cam or anything to that effect. Still, the spotlight and the music seem to indicate they should be dancing, so he starts, and Star follows his lead.

“Star!” He whispers, after a minute.

“How did you know my name?” She asks, her voice distant, like she’s in a trance. Marco lifts his mask.

“It’s me! Marco!” He puts it back before anyone else can see.

 

~ ~ ~

 

When he sees Star dancing with someone else, Tom’s first instinct is anger. (And his second instinct, if he’s being honest, but no one’s asking him to be.) He even starts to storm forward, growling.

But then, he pauses. His fists uncurl, and his hands slowly fall to his sides, because Star looks...happy. Then her smile disappears when the stranger lifts a hand to his face, says something Tom can’t hear, and before he’s fully aware of it he’s stalking toward them again, intent on getting between them and stopping them dancing. He’s careful to keep his anger under wraps, though; he doesn’t want to make things worse with Star now.

 

~ ~ ~

 

First, Star is captivated, enthralled by the newcomer who pulled her into a dance and activated the blood moon’s magic. When Marco lifts his mask, she’s concerned, and frustrated, and some small part of her is still happy but she knows it isn’t showing.

“What are you doing here?” She demands, _I can take care of myself_ and _what if someone realizes you don’t belong_ both trailing the question, but she understands instantly that Marco doesn’t hear either of them.

Spinning her out, away from him so only their hands are still touching, Marco opens his mouth to reply-- and swiftly shuts it again when Tom is suddenly there, eyebrows furrowed but hands open, taking Star’s free hand in his and trying to twirl her around toward him, further away from Marco. She has the simultaneous compulsions of letting go of Marco’s hand and holding onto it tighter.

She doesn’t have to choose, as after only a moment of surprise Marco squeezes her hand and improvises, spinning himself in to get back between Star and Tom. There’s a moment of incoordination, resulting in Tom’s hand half-accidentally finding Marco’s face and knocking away the mask. Star’s eyes go immediately to the demon’s, but they aren’t glowing, and although he’s frowning his teeth aren’t bared. He doesn’t look so much angry as thoughtful, like he’s trying to strategize the best way to get the two of them away from Marco. _Huh,_ she thinks _. Maybe he really is getting better._

She realizes, as they continue the dance, that the blood moon’s light hasn’t gone anywhere.

 

~ ~ ~

 

What follows is just as much a silent conversation as it is a dance, the three of them never stopping and not faltering enough to force them to stop. Marco grabs onto Tom’s hand, so they’re all spinning in a circle, and neither of the boys want to let go for fear of being left behind. When Marco steps closer to Star, Tom pulls him back and copies him. Rolling her eyes, Star steps back, her arms stretched out directly in front of her so that the two of them are pulled into turning to face each other, nose to nose. They almost trip over each other, but Star steps forward, letting them step back, spreading her arms to the sides so they’re both facing her.

She gives them a look, careful to grab their hands tighter in warning when they both try to get between her and the other. Both boys look sheepish, so she supposes they get the message. Deliberately stepping forward again, so that _she’s_ between _them_ , Star grins, and after an uncomfortable moment they both mirror it.

Marco seems to get the idea first, and lifts his and Star’s hands up, letting her spin underneath them to lean back against his and Tom’s arms, her own arms crossed in front of her to hold onto their hands. She smiles wider when Tom is the one to move next, lifting his arm (and Marco’s with it) so Star can step back out, leaving all their arms crossed over each other for barely a second before he’s following her, making Marco twirl quickly after him to keep their arms bending at natural angles while they move back into a circle.

When Marco sends him a glare, Tom laughs. He’s careful, though, to avoid his horns hitting the human’s head when they all three step forward at once, the sides of their foreheads all pressed against each other as the moon’s glow fades and they spin to a stop. The music stops, too, and the room is silent besides the noise of the lights turning back on.

“Well _that_ hasn’t happened in millennia.” Someone comments.


End file.
